That may be a record setting post title. Maybe I should have gone with SSLYBY @ The MO Theatre. After a late night of thesis writing in the coffee shop Tuesday, I just happened to see the show advertised on the theater marquee as I walked past. I didn’t even know the theater had a patio, so the fact they were holding a show on it definitely intrigued me. It didn’t hurt that I think SSLYBY is one of the most underrated bands performing today (ignore the fact that their debut Broom was the love child of just about every music blog except Pitchfork).
SSLYBY played well, plus had a strong showing of super fans standing in front, singing along with every song. Unfortunately, the mix was way off and even with the extra help the vocals were muddy and sometimes absent. John Robert Cardwell and Phillip Dickey often trade vocals or interweave them throughout a song. Since the mic at the drum set was turned down so low, it seemed like one singer was giving the silent treatment to the other. Plus, the patio’s geometry really lends itself better to a wine and cheese function with a jazz band than a crowded rock show. But for what it’s worth, SSLYBY played well, the crowd was into it, and it’s hard to beat a night of music with your friends under the warm Missouri sky.
